Garage doors used in both commercial and residential applications are commonly mounted to a door frame which is incorporated into a wall of a building or garage. Conventionally, the door frame which is used to position and hang the garage door is formed from a pair of vertical frame members connected to a horizontal frame member. These door flame elements are commonly welded together by the manufacturer and then transported to the construction or building site for incorporation into the building or garage. The garage door itself is hung from the door frame in association with a track or other mechanism for slidably opening and closing the door.
Door flames of this type must be constructed and assembled by the manufacturer and then shipped to the job site. The door frame elements are often fabricated from steel and welded together by the manufacturer and then shipped to the construction or job site.
The disadvantages associated with a door frame of this type include the complicated, expensive and labor-intensive step of welding or securing the frame elements to one another by the manufacturer. In addition, once constructed the door frame requires substantial space for transportation to the job site and is heavy and difficult to handle because of its steel construction. Furthermore, in that each door frame is assembled by the manufacturer, frequently when it arrives at the construction site, modifications to either the door frame or the building into which it is to be incorporated are required due to damage during shipment or building design changes. In that each door frame is assembled by the manufacturer, it is often intended for a specific type of door or application, and later changes in building requirements or specifications result in the door frame being returned to the manufacturer while a different door frame is ordered and delivered to the job site resulting in construction down time and costly delays.
As evidenced by the above background, there is an existing need for a garage door frame that can be easily assembled by the installer at the job site, with a minimum amount of handling, and without the use of complicated fastener mechanisms to maintain the frame elements in an assembled configuration. Furthermore, there is a need for a garage door frame which can be transported to the job site with a minimum amount of space and easily assembled at the job site with a minimal amount of labor, materials, and time. Such a garage door frame must be usable for either pre-hung doors or knock-down doors which are incorporated into the assembled door frame at the job site. The door frame should be adapted for use both in extension spring and torsion spring garage door applications.